September 10, 2003 
 

From: Saint Xavier University-AAUP Chapter Executive Committee:

Richard Fritz, President

Jayne Hileman, Treasurer

Norman Boyer, At-Large Representative

Michael Clark, At-Large Representative

Olga Villela, At-Large Representative 

 

 

On May 19, 2003, the Saint Xavier University-AAUP Chapter Executive Committee sent the attached letter via e-mail to President Yanikoski and other concerned parties. Since then, several recipients have requested a “hard copy” version of the document. The Executive Committee has agreed to this request, and also decided to distribute the letter to all faculty members at Saint Xavier and the general public.

The intent of the attached letter is to articulate the Executive Committee’s interpretation of AAUP policies and recommendations regarding issues of due process and academic freedom. We hope this will encourage faculty members and their elected representatives to openly discuss the faculty’s role in managing and/or adjudicating complex, difficult cases. Another goal is to urge the establishment of binding rules and procedures that specify faculty participation in ensuring due process, fair remedies, as well as faculty responsibility to the university and the community.

As an advisory body, we urge the Faculty Senate and the administration to work closely with one another to uphold academic freedom and due process. We need clear policies that spell out the Senate's responsibility to conduct inquiries and, when necessary, to recommend sanctions. There are important gaps in the faculty governance structure. Right now the faculty's role, and its responsibilities, in ensuring due process are at best vague and ill-defined. In the future, elected faculty officials should share the burden of investigation and decision- making in those rare cases where sanctions are contemplated.

We need a full, open, and collaborative discussion of faculty rights and responsibilities. Current policies do not clearly specify faculty leaders' roles or the procedures they must follow in cases where sanctions are being considered. We need to establish clear rules and procedures requiring elected faculty representatives to participate in all cases, even when the unpleasant prospect of sanctioning a colleague arises. The administration should not be left to bear the onus of deciding such cases alone. Collaborative decision making, with faculty input and participation, will ease the burden on administration and pave the way for harmonious relations. Our elected faculty leaders should not be relegated to the sidelines when sanctions are considered.

We believe there is a serious need to clarify the faculty's role in ensuring due process, and we hope that the Senate and administration can work together to establish meaningful rules and procedures.